Stopped by the police

[jeffandnicole]

So this happened last night. I'll let you guess the outcome and I'll post later today (or tomorrow or sometime...)

I was driving on 295 North in NJ woth my wife, and got stopped by a State Trooper.  I knew he caught me going about 76 in a 55 approaching Cherry Hill's Exit 34 (He was in an odd spot...I usually see them in the median there, but he was angled on the right shoulder this time). As I was pulling over, I realized my phone, which I had left home by accident, contained my license in the case pocket.

Cop pulls in behind me and approaches the car on the passenger side. Asks for my license, registration and insurance. As I pull put my reg and ins from the glove box, I tell him I don't have my license...

So. How did this turn out for me?

[renegade]

Did you end up on "Live PD?"

[jeffandnicole]

Did you end up on "Live PD?"

Nah. Thank goodness. Actually I don't think Live PD has ever been in NJ. Live Fire and Rescue does role with the Patterson FD, and apparently with Trenton as well.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm assuming that most police departments now have the ability to view your license off DMV records on their dashboard computer and verify you are who say you are. 

[kphoger]

You now have to take your DL to the police station within a certain number of days, to prove that you did in fact possess a current DL at the time of the infraction.

[Mr. Matté]

So. How did this turn out for me?

Because you're here to tell us about it, I'm assuming you're white.

[jakeroot]

Are you writing this from a jailhouse computer? I'm sorry, but I cannot help with bail.

You had to phone a friend to drive the car from that spot? (rule in British Columbia)

[ozarkman417]

You had to phone a friend to drive the car from that spot? (rule in British Columbia)

Would his wife not suffice under that rule?

[webny99]

Ooh, a cliffhanger! 

[Max Rockatansky]

Ooh, a cliffhanger! 

I purposely didn't read the statute so the actually answer has some actual "suspense"  to it. 

[jakeroot]

You had to phone a friend to drive the car from that spot? (rule in British Columbia)

Would his wife not suffice under that rule?

Forgive my lack of proofreading skills.

New answer: wife had to drive home.

[NE2]

The cop's birth parents were unmarried.

[hbelkins]

Going to guess that the cop took your DOB, address, possibly SSN, and called it in to verify that you have a valid DL. You got a ticket for speeding and a warning for license to be in possession.

[jeffandnicole]

So, this is the long-winded version of what happened. First a little more detail...

One of the things I learned when getting pulled over is simply don't do anything stupid. I was approaching an interchange, which is a bad place to stop. I moved over to the right lane, then after the acceleration lane ended I moved over well onto the right shoulder, stopping with my two right wheels on the grass, so plenty of distance from live traffic. Trooper pulled in behind me. I opened my windows and turned on my interior lights as it was dark so he could clearly see in the vehicle.

As they normally do, he walked over to the passenger side, and asked for my info. As I pulled it out I clearly admitted to what I did, saying "I guess I was going a little fast there". He gave a quiet "yeah".

As I said, I told him I didn't have my license, but I have my license number memorized if he wanted it. He looked at my reg and ins and asked if I was Jeff, and I said yes. Then he said: "Nah, I don't feel like going back and looking it up. Just slow down a little". And walked away!

No mention of my actual speed (I estimated about 76 or so), how much over the limit I was or the 55 limit. After I got home, even my wife commented that he didn't make us switch drivers! He just let a driver without their license continue to drive! The entire time he was at my car lasted about 45 seconds!

[Mr. Matté]

[The trooper] looked at my reg and ins and asked if I was Jeff, and I said yes. Then he said: "Nah, I don't feel like going back and looking it up. Just slow down a little". And walked away!

Yup, you're white.

[nexus73]

So, this is the long-winded version of what happened. First a little more detail...

One of the things I learned when getting pulled over is simply don't do anything stupid. I was approaching an interchange, which is a bad place to stop. I moved over to the right lane, then after the acceleration lane ended I moved over well onto the right shoulder, stopping with my two right wheels on the grass, so plenty of distance from live traffic. Trooper pulled in behind me. I opened my windows and turned on my interior lights as it was dark so he could clearly see in the vehicle.

As they normally do, he walked over to the passenger side, and asked for my info. As I pulled it out I clearly admitted to what I did, saying "I guess I was going a little fast there". He gave a quiet "yeah".

As I said, I told him I didn't have my license, but I have my license number memorized if he wanted it. He looked at my reg and ins and asked if I was Jeff, and I said yes. Then he said: "Nah, I don't feel like going back and looking it up. Just slow down a little". And walked away!

No mention of my actual speed (I estimated about 76 or so), how much over the limit I was or the 55 limit. After I got home, even my wife commented that he didn't make us switch drivers! He just let a driver without their license continue to drive! The entire time he was at my car lasted about 45 seconds!

Lucky you!  In Oregon, the State Police are hard core as are the cities where they emphasize traffic enforcement.  Add in cities with photo traffic enforcement to the "no breaks" list.  Encounter other law enforcement agencies if you want to be able to slide in the Beaver State!

Rick

[coldshoulder]

[The trooper] looked at my reg and ins and asked if I was Jeff, and I said yes. Then he said: "Nah, I don't feel like going back and looking it up. Just slow down a little". And walked away!

Yup, you're white.

That certainly helped, I'm sure.

I have found, twice when I was stopped under very similar circumstances (in Ohio), that being honest and respectful goes a long way:

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
ME:  "Yes, officer, I was obviously going too fast."
"Do you know how fast you were going?"
ME:  "I'd estimate 55-to-60"  (in a 45-mph zone).
"Thank you for being honest--I clocked you at 59"

Written warning, no ticket..."have a nice night, and drive safely..."

[Max Rockatansky]

I've been pulled over five times in my adult life and I'm 2 for 5 for getting tickets.  The two tickets I got were for expired tags when I bought a house (2007) and didn't realize that ADOT would forward the renewal in the mail and the other was not turning to the most extreme right lane (2005) The other three were as follows:

-  In 2016 I was pulled over on I-20 in western Texas for following a trucker at 500 feet at 70 MPH.  The State Trooper wanted to know someone with a Florida tag wasn't on I-10 and I handed him my travel order showing that I was moving to California.  I further explained that I was headed to US 180 to go to Carlsbad Caverns that day in New Mexico.  The trooper thanked me and told me that a lot of drug runners had been using I-20 to avoid their checkpoints on I-10.  This trooper had a Crown Victoria so it ended up mostly being a conversation about Panther Body cars before he let me go with a warning. 
-   In 2015 someone cut me off coming out of a driveway on Spring Lake Highway in Hernando County, Florida.  I slammed my car up (a Challenger) up to 70 MPH and blew past the driver.  A sheriffs deputy read my speed coming the other way and pulled me over.  I explained that I was cut off by the other driver but I shouldn't have done what I did.  Again the conversation turned to about cars and I was given a warning (this was on Thanksgiving).
-  On a military base in 2013 I California stopped a stop sign and was pulled over the military police.  I knew the officer and told him I knew exactly why he pulled me over.  Again I was was let go with a warning, I guess the stop sign was a known traffic problem.

Honesty, being respectful, and apologizing can go a long way in terms of things going more smoothly when pulled over.  Nonetheless it isn't any guarantee that you won't get a ticket.  I've found that as I've gotten older that I tend to draw less attention as possibly being suspicions regarding the questions I get asked.  That makes sense since the most crime prone age group is males 18-25.  In the case of the registration deal back in 2007 I was asking if I was carrying drugs and if the officer could look in my trunk.  I told the officer politely no to both questions, he wasn't happy but he didn't have cause to look in there.  I don't think letting the consent search of the truck happen would have made a difference if I got a ticket or not in that particular instance given how direct that interaction was. 

With the not turning to the most extreme right lane ticket that was in the City of Tempe.  Given that had a penalty attached to it which was a moving violation I elected to go to traffic court class to get it waived.  I showed up early and struck up a conversation with the female officer who was conducting the class.  When she asked me what was there for I told her it was for not turning to the most extreme right lane.  She looked up my ticket and told me that the officer who pulled me over must have thought I was doing something else to bother with a minor infraction.  She then told me that she would waive the ticket and I didn't have to bother with the class since it could only be taken once in a certain number of years.  I was kind of tempted to ask for her number given she was around my age but I figured it was best not to push my luck and left. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

-  In 2016 I was pulled over on I-20 in western Texas for following a trucker at 500 feet at 70 MPH.  The State Trooper wanted to know someone with a Florida tag wasn't on I-10 and I handed him my travel order showing that I was moving to California.

This kind of crap should be illegal. We have freedom of movement and I should not have to justify why I'm on Road X when he thinks I should be using Road Y. If you didn't have a travel order is that a consent to search/detainment because he thinks you might be up to something?

[Max Rockatansky]

-  In 2016 I was pulled over on I-20 in western Texas for following a trucker at 500 feet at 70 MPH.  The State Trooper wanted to know someone with a Florida tag wasn't on I-10 and I handed him my travel order showing that I was moving to California.

This kind of crap should be illegal. We have freedom of movement and I should not have to justify why I'm on Road X when he thinks I should be using Road Y. If you didn't have a travel order is that a consent to search/detainment because he thinks you might be up to something?

I would still have to give my consent to search or the officer would have to get a search warrant for my vehicle.  All he was greeted with was a travel order in my hand and a big lab mix in the back seat. 

It was immediately apparent that there was disappointment with the traffic stop.  What I found strange was two things: one the officer slowed down in the left lane and followed me for five miles before finding a reason to pull me over.  That is a pretty desperate attempt to find even the most minor traffic violation, basically the tenant of a text book pretext stop.  Apparently being out at 6:30 AM was odd in the officer's opinion, I actually was out the hotel door late and didn't find that unusual to be on an Interstate Highway at that hour.  I guess all that effort to find anything of interest at 6:30 AM seemed over the top considering it was obvious what the officer was doing from the get-go. 

Second, why does Texas require an actual warning ticket to be printed?  Is that to keep records that a patrolman actually gave a warning?  Off the top of my head I can't think of another state that has warning tickets, there must be others. 

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^
I got a "warning ticket" on EB I-20 between Pecos and Monahans back in 2002; heading to Atlanta, it was my maiden out-of-state ticket in my then-new Sportage.  At that time posted at 75mph, the trooper got on at the US 285 interchange, pulled up behind me, and stayed there for at least six miles before hitting the red light.  He explained that my speed had been varying quite a bit over that stretch, and exceeding 75 in a couple of spots.  I explained that I had just purchased the vehicle and was trying to get the hang of the speed control (a previous Chrysler-built car had required speeding up to just above the desired speed and then backing off).  He seemed to be OK with that explanation and handed me the warning ticket for 79mph, stating that if I got a 2nd one in TX, it would be a real one the next time.  So I was extra-careful about my speed from that point on -- and was quite thankful when I crossed the line into LA that evening (overnighted in Shreveport). 

[DJ Particle]

-  In 2016 I was pulled over on I-20 in western Texas for following a trucker at 500 feet at 70 MPH.  The State Trooper wanted to know someone with a Florida tag wasn't on I-10 and I handed him my travel order showing that I was moving to California.

This kind of crap should be illegal. We have freedom of movement and I should not have to justify why I'm on Road X when he thinks I should be using Road Y. If you didn't have a travel order is that a consent to search/detainment because he thinks you might be up to something?

Reminds me of once when I had to pick up my college roomie in Ontario (vehicle died - no way to get back home otherwise).  Border guard on the way back asked me where I was headed.

I gave him my Massachusetts ID (and college ID) and said I was a student at Ithaca College.

He then asked why I was going to Ithaca when I have a MA ID.

...cue "Confused Jackie Chan" meme in my head...I had JUST TOLD HIM I was a student there.  🙄

[Rothman]

I got pulled over on TX 302 (near Loving County) in a car with Utah plates.  Cop said it was due to speeding, but then didn't tell me what speed he caught me going at.  I was even idiotic enough to ask how fast I was going and he pointedly said something like, "Oh, I could definitely let you know if you really need to."  Left it at that.

He let me off with a warning.  It was pretty obvious the pullover was just for being out-of-staters.

[SP Cook]

So glad that NJ has solved murder, rape, robbery, general mayhem, dope dealing, and all of the other way to use the limited police resource, and can now worry about people driving safe and fast on roads designed to be driven safe and fast.

[interstate73]

I'm 2 for 2 on getting pulled over and leaving with just a warning. First time was at the Hanover/Speedwell intersection in Morris Plains (quite notorious in the area and prone to extreme congestion) when the light went from yellow to red as I hit the line and I wasn't about to slam on the brakes and land 3/4 of the way through the intersection - apparently the officer waiting in the vacant lot on the corner disagreed! Thankfully he let me go with just a warning and said if I got caught running a light again it would be a real ticket. Second time was in Rockaway Twp, thought it was because I was going 40 in a 25 and started to freak out once I realized I had forgotten my license at home, but when he got to my window he only said my headlight was out and was more interested in talking about the college sticker in my back windshield than my speed or license. Got very lucky in both cases.